


Sticky Sweet

by scarletsptember



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Chocolatier!Harry, Drama, M/M, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-25
Updated: 2013-10-25
Packaged: 2017-12-30 11:31:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1018099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletsptember/pseuds/scarletsptember
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All it took was a letter for things to change between Harry and Gabriel. Harry isn't quite expecting Gabriel to walk back in his life, much less with Sam and Dean Winchester in tow.</p>
<p>~_~</p>
<p>"The mystery of your life comes to light again, Gabriel," Harry tapped his fingers on the note before scooping up cold mug and heading towards the sink. "We both know the last note you left it took you a year before you walked through that door again."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sticky Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> It was requested that some of my older fics be posted on here. I didn't think that peoples still read or enjoyed what I had posted a long while ago.

**_Past_ **

Harry threw his keys down on the counter and headed straight for the fridge to cool the hand crafted chocolates he wanted to try out again later but a pair of boots sitting innocently beneath the bar had him stopping in his tracks. "Gabriel?"

Harry shoved the box of chocolates in the fridge before he started to tear through the house searching for the man who hadn't been home in a few days. "Gabe! You home?"

"What is it, Harry?" Gabriel shuffled through the kitchen with bare feet and wearing sleep pants while he rubbed his eyes clear of fatigue with one hand and holding a cup of steaming hot chocolate with a straw of red licorice balanced on the rim of the mug. "Why must you wake the entire neighborhood when you get home this late?"

"Because you're home," Harry laughed as he moved back to the fridge and pulled it back open. A plan was already forming in his mind on how to wake the man quickly. Harry grabbed the box and felt fingers grasp the back of his black chef's jacket and the sound of the mug being set on the counter before he turned around.

"Yeah? What's that?" Gabriel's eyes widened in excitement seeing the box Harry had in his hands.

"Maybe I have something for you?" Harry flipped the lid off and Gabriel crowded him against the fridge.

"Chocolate?"

"Made from the heart," Harry chuckled, "Actually hand-crafted and something brand new. Wanted to see if it was any good and I figured you'd know."

"Let me see," Gabriel grabbed the box out of Harry's hands and tossed it on the counter behind him completely ignoring it in favor of Harry. "Looks good, let's see how it tastes."

Gabriel ran his thumbs down the sides of Harry's neck before brushing his lips over Harry's in feather light touches. After a second he licked his lips and smirked, "So far so good."

"Oh I bet." Harry grinned against Gabriel's lips and he let Gabriel taste the remnants of his earlier taste tests.

"One of the best creations I've tasted in a long time." Gabriel spoke against Harry's lips.

"Such a flatterer," Harry reached around Gabriel and grabbed a chocolate and pressed it against Gabriel's lips. Harry's lips parted when Gabriel's lips wrapped around the chocolate and his fingers.

Harry held his breath, waiting as Gabriel savored the flavor with a grin. "Perfect, and not just because you made them."

"Good." Harry grabbed the box with a grin before heading down the hallway. Laughter escaped his lips when Gabriel wrapped his arms around Harry's waist trying to grab at the box of chocolates and Harry pulled away with a wry grin. "Not going to happen."

"Why not?" Gabriel let his hand slide between a row of the double buttons in the black jacket just above Harry's pants.

"You'll just eat them," Harry backed towards the room with the box held in a slackened grip. "And I have plans."

"Plans? Please inform me of these plans of yours." Gabriel followed Harry's slow movements into their room.

"It involves a bed," Harry's voice dropped as Gabriel popped the buttons on his jacket and began pulling it off his shoulders, his fingers brushing against the exposed skin at his shoulders and running a teasing touch beneath the undershirt.

"A bed?" Gabriel quirked a brow, "Would it also involve those chocolates of yours?"

"Quite possibly," Harry set the box on the bed before tugging his shirt over his head and pushing Gabriel onto the bed. Harry toed off his shoes and socks before plucking a chocolate out of the box with deft fingers. "Do you know how hot chocolate has to be to melt?"

"No."

"For such an enthusiast you should know," Harry moved to straddle Gabriel's hips, trailing the cool edge of the chocolate from navel to sternum. "One hundred degrees is the recommended temperature. But for this, I'd say we need something warmer."

"Yeah?" Gabriel watched Harry press the chocolate against his lips before biting into it. Harry took a moment to savor the richness, the bliss before leaning down and licking his way into Gabriel's mouth.

"Yeah."

* * *

"Oh look at you, Boss Man," Harry rolled his eyes as he set the last of the chocolates to cool before sitting down next to Amber. "So I see the new candies are a hit with walk-ins."

"They are," Harry nodded. "Should be good for upcoming holidays."

"Should be good for upcoming holidays," Amber mocked. "Please, we both know you made those with someone in mind. A lot of love went into that. So who did you make it for?"

"Not a soul." Harry tapped the girl on the shoulder before pulling the buttons loose on his jacket preparing to walk through the heat. "Be sure to clean and lock this place up. I'm heading home early."

"Uh huh, you're going to see that mysterious lover of yours."

"Whatever you say, Amber, whatever you say."

Harry took the few blocks to his house on foot. He watched as everyone got lost in the last minute run to shops nearby and as they ducked into restaurants to meet up with friends and family completely oblivious to how slow the rest of the world was moving around them.

As Harry left the shopping district he nodded to the few people he passed as they waved. Harry pushed through the door and dropped his keys on the counter spotting the cooled cup of hot chocolate with a piece of red licorice lying on a piece of crumpled paper.

_Harry,_

_There's some business I have to take care of. As usual as soon as I get back there's always something that takes me away. I'll be back as soon as I can, just as I always promise._

_Gabriel_

"The mystery of your life comes to light again, Gabriel," Harry tapped his fingers on the note before scooping up cold mug and heading towards the sink. "We both know the last note you left it took you a year before you walked through that door again."

* * *

"Boss Man," Amber looked up from the strawberries she was setting to temper. "You've been looking a bit down for the past few months. You want to spill to me before I skip town after this wedding we're working on?"

"There's nothing to spill, Amber."

"You sure? Because from where I'm standing, which is two feet two your left and inches away from that utility knife you're using to massacre those once beautiful chocolate roses with, it looks like you're angry that someone else is happy and in love."

"I'm not angry. I'm just having a bad day." Harry tossed the ruined moulds into the trash and pulled out a fresh tray to start over. "I'm allowed to have one of those every now and then right?"

"Yeah, you're allowed one or two days. Not three months worth of bad days. Should I put a hold on my store opening? Cause you know I can do that."

"Amber," Harry set the knife down all too carefully trying to keep calm, "I'm fine. We all have our rough spots and I've just hit a nasty one."

"I can delay a few weeks, you know that right? It's expected for me to fuck up and all I've got at the moment are the referrals from you." Amber picked up her tray and headed into the walk in before coming back to lean against the table and watch as Harry added the minute details on the petals he couldn't before.

"Amber, will you just leave it alone? I'm fine."

"I'll kick his ass if I ever see him again. Because anyone who can make chocolate this pathetic deserves to die. Just so you know." Amber growled out and Harry laughed so hard he started tearing up.

"Thanks," Harry pulled off his gloves and wiped his eyes dry before heading towards the sink to wash and put on a new set of gloves. "I needed that."

"Anytime, boo. Anytime."

* * *

**_Present_ **

Harry leaned against the counter waiting for his hot chocolate and chewing on a strand of red licorice while he watched as the crowds of people passed by on the sidewalks outside the coffee shop. The world had always been different here and he liked it through the good and the bad. It was the hustle and bustle of everyone passing by that fascinated him. Their sense of urgency that always seemed to have that let him go unnoticed and people always passed him by without a second glance.

"Potter!"

"Right here, love, no need to yell." Harry grinned at the red head who faux swooned at his accent like always as he picked up his hot chocolate. He placed a red strand of licorice over the edge of his paper cup and started to head out when a hand shot out to latch onto the back of his chef's jacket.

"Potter, some man came in here earlier and ordered the same thing. I asked him about it because in my twenty young years of owning this place you and one other person are the only people I have ever seen do that. Want to know what he said?"

Harry set his cup down and felt the breath catch in his chest because he only started to order his hot chocolate like this because of Gabriel and how much he missed the man. "What did he say, Lane?"

"Nothing, the little bastard just smiled and walked right out the door like he never left town in the first place."

"Of course he did." Harry rolled his eyes. "If your lights are still on I'll stop by, if not be safe out there. There's no telling what kind of crazy is going to happen once it gets dark out."

"Look out for yourself, sweetheart. There's more coming trouble for young people these days than my kind."

"I'm not exactly a young man anymore, Lane."

"You look it and thirty is still young in my books."

"Well I can take care of myself so stop your worrying." Harry waved goodbye as he headed out the shop.

Harry walked the two blocks the shop with his eyes searching the crowd as he passed by. He was searching for the once familiar face and the dark eyes that haunted so many sleepless nights in his home. He was searching for the man who disappeared with just a few careless lines scrawled out over a crumpled piece of paper, while Harry worked on oblivious to what was happening.

Unlocking the door to the shop Harry stumbled over the doorjamb and disarmed the alarm before flicking on all the lights and heading towards the back to start the process of melting all the chocolates down for the beginning orders of the day. While the chocolates were melting Harry moved quietly around the steel tables and filled the sinks with soapy water and sanitizer before grabbing the knives and cutting boards and laid them out across the tables.

Harry stared at the white handled knives and the steel tables and listened to the pop and sizzle of the burners that didn't have enough water before he started moving around the room to fix everything to his liking.

Everything was set up by the time the rest of his employees strode in and pulled the work tickets out and set abut working. Harry watched the swift and efficient movements of each of them and admired their talent. These were the people who picked him up and carried him on his worst days and he returned the favor in any reasonable way he could. Even when some of them were too afraid to accept his help where he offered it.

"Harry?" The soft timid voice of Samantha broke his thoughts as he readied his pans.

"What is it?"

"You don't mind that my boys are being dropped off here after school. I know you said you didn't but sometimes people say some things but mean another. So you don't mind, do you?" Harry blinked against the onslaught of her fast speech and took a minute to comprehend everything she said.

"Yeah, they're fine. Just make sure they don't come back here and get in the way. It'll be fine with me, Samantha. You do enough around here that a couple hours after school on the days Billy has an extra shift, no big deal."

"Thank you. It means the world to me."

"Uh huh, now get started with those berries." Harry shooed her away and pulled on a fresh pair of gloves to settle into work. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a quick hug before heading towards her colander and flats of strawberries with a wide grin.

This was his family now and if he didn't have a certain someone there with him then this would be okay. At least for now.

* * *

"No, this is a really bad idea. I'm not going in that town." Gabriel shook his head, hand ready to snap his way out of the Impala but Castiel's hand wrapped around his.

"You can not waste any more of your Grace." Castiel warned Gabriel. "And you will go. This is one of your last options."

"I won't. There are other ways to go about doing this."

"This is the quickest." Dean pointed out as he leaned over the edge of the seat to look at the exhausted angel.

"Why not? You know each other, right?" Sam pointed out. "Just talk to the guy and if you've worked together before he should help you out, no problems."

"Yeah," Dean chimed in. "He already knows you were a Trickster, so there's going to be less of a surprise when you tell him that you're actually an angel and he can give you the power boost you need to get on your way to one hundred percent."

"Because I said I won't. I can't go in that town." Gabriel pulled his hand from Castiel's and folded his arms over his jacket clad chest.

"Did someone actually run you out of this town?" Sam asked with a laugh and then he saw the look on Gabriel's face. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"What?" Dean turned around in his seat and looked between Sam and Gabriel. "What did I miss?"

"After all the showy I can have anyone I want, anytime I want, you left someone here and you don't want to go back because you know they're still here. That's what all this refusal is about, isn't it?"

"I've got a history here." Gabriel shrugged. "Not a bad one just one I wish I didn't have to have but someone had to save you three and I didn't have time to give them an explanation as to why I disappeared."

"So who is she?" Dean asked and Gabriel refused to answer. "Oh come on man. You've got to give us an answer after all the shit you put us through."

"I don't have to give you anything. Harry isn't going to want to help me after the last time I saw him. He's more than likely going to want to kill me." Gabriel sighed and hit his head against the window and Sam grabbed the collar of Gabriel's jacket.

"Don't do that, you'll bruise."

"Yeah, well maybe I'll die and then we won't have to go." Gabriel closed his eyes and Castiel grasped Gabriel's chin tight, waiting until he had Gabriel's full attention.

"You will not die. I will not allow it and if he is our quickest route to getting your Grace back then we will take it."

Gabriel swallowed down the fear and self-loathing before he closed his eyes against the deep blue gaze. If Harry had any sanity left he'd tell them to go to hell and lock up his shop to them. "Fine, we might as well try."

"That's more like it." Sam nodded before patting Gabriel's shoulder.

"Well," Dean cranked the Impala up and let the engine idle as he waited for Gabriel to tell him what direction to start driving in. "Where are we going Miss Daisy?"

"Stay on the main road. It should be about two blocks from the only coffee shop in town." Gabriel leaned against the window and watched as his old life passed him by sure how popping back into Harry's life would be. Before the Winchesters needed a hard learned lesson here and there, before they needed his help, before Gabriel lost his Grace in another misguided attempt to show Daddy that he was more than a prankster and could be just as fierce as the rest of his sons. "Stop, this is the place."

"How do you know?" Dean asked as he let the Impala roll to a stop outside of an unmarked cottage like building. Plants that were undecipherable to the eye lined the walkway and the side porch. It looked more like a house than a shop. "There isn't any kind of sign."

"Roll down your window you ding bat." Gabriel rolled his eyes and popped the door open and Dean's eyes widened against the sweet aromas that drifted into the car. "Yeah, I could smell this place before we hit town. Do me a favor and stay in the car."

"Oh no way," Dean was already out of the car. "You don't want _us_ to meet someone. There's some kind of story here and if I can get anything on you then that's too good to be true."

"I could make you stay in the car."

"No you can't." Dean mocked Gabriel as they walked up the pathway.

"Just keep your mouths shut and let me do the talking, for once?"

Gabriel opened the door and a burst of cool air rushed out around them as they crowded in the front room and waited for someone to come through the employee workroom. Sam and Dean already took to flipping through the books that were lying around on the counter space when someone came hurtling through the door.

Gabriel watched as Harry pulled off a pair of gloves not paying any attention to who was in the foyer as he spoke, "Can I help you?"

Harry looked good in his black chef's jacket with emerald piping. His waist apron was stuffed to the gills with the tools he'd be using to mold, and carve the chocolates to his will. Harry looked delicious in his element.

"You're looking good, Potter." The words were out of Gabriel's mouth before he could stop himself and Harry dropped his gloves with a thump in the trash can with a wide grin.

"Can't say the same for yourself, Gabe. Where have you been the last two years?"

Gabriel cast a quick look over his shoulder. Sam and Dean were trying their best to look like they weren't listening in as they pointed out several different candies and Castiel stood staring out the window. "If I said that I was helping fight off the apocalypse would you actually believe me?"

Gabriel stood uncomfortably beneath Harry's skeptical gaze. He shifted his weight as Harry toyed with the utility knife he used to carve out the finer details in the chocolates.

"I'd have to go with yes," Harry still had the ability to shock Gabriel after all. "I'm not stupid and if you remember correctly I was trained, albeit poorly, in divination. I knew what was happening out there. I take it you allied yourself with the winning side?" Harry cast a quick glance over his shoulder towards the employee entrance.

"That's a safe bet." Gabriel snorted but placed a hand on his chest with a grimace.

"Well you never know with you, could be just showing up to say goodbye so you guys could be losing."

Gabriel stepped back like Harry had hit him hard in chest. "We won."

"Good." Harry nodded as a seemingly apologetic gesture for his earlier words. "So why are you here?"

"He needs your help, but if you are too much of a jerk to give it we'll just leave." Dean wrapped a hand around Gabriel's bicep and Harry's eyes latched on to the touch. A pit of jealousy formed quick, hot, and deep in his stomach from not being about to touch Gabriel so casually like that.

"I never said I wouldn't help him," Harry rubbed a hand over his eyes. "I have a room full of people who don't know anything about this part of the world. Can you wait until this evening?"

"We can do that." Gabriel nodded. Glad that Harry was willing to even talk to listen to him.

"You have a place to hang out at for awhile?" Harry asked, already itching to get away from the questioning gazes of the unnamed people standing at Gabriel's back.

"We'll find something to do."

"Stay away from the coffee shop. Lane isn't happy with you." Harry warned Gabriel. "She knows you're in town."

"How?"

"Try ordering your hot chocolate a different way the next time you check and see if old friends are still in town."

"What time should we stop by later?"

"Six o'clock." Harry propped the door open allowing everyone to pass through. "Everyone will be gone and I'll have the place cleaned up. Then we can head over to my place to talk about whatever you need my help with."

"Six?"

"Six o'clock." Harry confirmed and pushed Gabriel out of the building. Warmth spread from his hand and up his arm. But the loss of the ever present underlying vibration of power Gabriel contained and the fact that it was missing worried Harry. It left him wondering what happened to lose that hum, the giddiness and joy that always seemed to pulse from every breath Gabriel took.

Harry watched as they each piled into the shiny black car and slid out of view from the window when Gabriel turned to look back at the shop. "Stop being such a chicken. You're powerful and you can handle yourself just fine, Harry."

"Harry!" A voice yelled from the back production room pulling his attention away from whatever was going to happen and into the present. "Someone wants a Jesus Melon!"

"I really hope you told them no because I'd hate to refund money for that."

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

**_Past_ **

Harry was lazily setting the dishes to clean themselves as he worked on a new chocolate covered toffee candy in his kitchen at home. It had been weeks since Gabriel had left and it was easier to work until he was bone tired rather than flutter around the place wondering if his Trickster was ever going to come home or not.

"I always though there was more to you than what you told me." Gabriel's voice cut off Harry's concentration and all the dishes that had been cleaning themselves in the sink clattered to the bottom and Harry spun around with shock painted across his face. Gabriel slipped into the kitchen and plucked up a candy off the wax paper Harry had it sitting on with a grin before he let his fingers dance along Harry's arm."There was always some underlying zing of something that I could feel when I touched you. Something that just made me want to ask what you were. Now I know."

"You know what?" Harry asked ignoring the little sparks that flew from Gabriel's fingertips to his skin.

"That you're a witch."

"Wizard," Harry automatically corrected.

"My bad, gender right?" Gabriel grinned, obviously teasing Harry, "So you're a wizard and you're a damn fine chocolatier but we had already established that fact."

"And that doesn't bother you." Harry quirked a brow, "Me being a wizard and you being a Trickster? Our kind doesn't typically get along. The whole jealousy feud over power we've got going on."

"I'm not your conventional Trickster, Harry," Gabriel crowded Harry against the counter his breath teasing along Harry's parted lips, "And I'd say we get along just fine."

"I think you're right." Harry pressed his lips against Gabriel's already melting against into his hold.

* * *

**_Present_ **

"What's the story between you two?" Sam asked as soon as they were in the Impala and headed towards wherever Dean deemed appropriate.

"There is no story, Sam." Gabriel rested his head on the back of the seat, closing his eyes with a loud sigh.

"Then why is he even bothering to hear you out? He seemed pretty pissed off at you when you first showed up. He didn't seem too confident in your abilities either." Dean scratched at the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Does he even know what you are?"

"He has reason to be angry with me. He has a lot of reasons to be angry with me." Gabriel rubbed his palms on the top of his jeans. "He knew me as a Trickster but he doesn't know me as an Archangel, yet. He doesn't know all of what the world went through but if he says he knows something was happening. He knows."

"He is not human." Castiel bluntly stated.

"Little brother, we've got to work on your secret keeping skills." Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"What is he? Exactly?" Sam pulled open the glove box and started digging through it mindlessly listening to Gabriel.

"He's a magic user but not in the sense you would think. Harry comes from a world that hides from people like hunters because they fear the persecution and the ways people would use them if they were discovered."

"So what would we call him?"

"A wizard," Gabriel answered automatically after all the times Harry had corrected him. "He's powerful for his kind, so don't underestimate him. He may appear nonthreatening but he holds his own even against me."

"That should serve as a warning to both of you," Castiel patted Dean on the shoulder before looking straight out the windshield.

* * *

Harry had just about finished cleaning the production area when the door sounded the early arrival of Gabriel and his companions. Harry pushed open the door and gestured them through. "I just have to wipe the tables down and the inside of the cooler down then I'll be ready to head out. It shouldn't take but a few more minutes."

"It's bigger then it was." Gabriel took in the extra tables and knife racks.

Harry rang out a rag of sanitizing solution before scrubbing the tables. "I've expanded my business since you left. Don't lean on the tables, it'll bleach out your clothes."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Uh huh," Harry nodded before wetting the rag down and heading towards the cooler. "So am I going to get names?"

"That's Sam and Dean Winchester and that's Castiel." Gabriel pointed out each of the respective hunters as Gabriel followed Harry into the cooler and watched the methodical process Harry used as he wiped down each shelf.

"I'm assuming they played a big part in the apocalypse?" Harry asked wiping his brow on his shoulder.

"Ah, even saying they played a major role would kind of be an understatement."

"Okay, I can understand that." Harry nodded.

"I had a feeling you would understand." Gabriel's words were spoken soft and full of understanding.

"Yeah, yeah." Harry swiped another shelf clean as the cooler latched shut and he turned to Gabriel. "What happened to you? It's like you're missing what makes you who you are. It's not right."

"No, it's not." Gabriel agreed. "And I'm freezing and you're tempting me with all this chocolate you've got stored in here, are you done?"

"Yeah, let me drain the sinks and head back to my place."

"Lead the way." They watched as Harry rolled a sleeve up as far as he could before letting the water out of the sinks and rinsing them clean.

"You know the way. I haven't moved since you left. I'll see you all there in a few minutes."

"We can give you a ride." Sam offered.

"I'll be there before you show up." Harry grinned. "See you in a few."

"What does he mean by that?" Dean asked as they were ushered out the building and the door locked with a sharp click behind them. Harry shut off all the lights before apparating into his house and carefully tracking down any reminder of Gabriel to hide it from view. First was the Twizzler and hot chocolate combo that was sitting on the counter. It was trashed immediately. A habit Harry would have never taken up if it weren't for Gabriel.

Next to disappear from view was the one picture Lane snuck of them together a few years back at the coffee shop. The best he could do was flip the frame down off the wall and onto the counter before the door bell rang and Harry was answering the door.

Everyone filed into the room like ducks and Gabriel made his way straight for the den and sat down on the couch, sprawling out with a sigh before his eyes landed on an old hoodie lying over the back of a recliner. "I thought you would have burned that, or shred it to tiny pieces at the very least."

Harry eyed Gabriel's old sweater. "I thought about it, several times but it's comfortable. Do you want anything to eat or drink before you start explaining everything to me, because I'm waiting for an explanation as to what happened to you and where you've been, Gabriel."

"You still stock the place to the brim with hot chocolate and licorice?"

Harry headed into the kitchen and started making two cups of heaven before looking up at the others standing awkwardly in the living room. "What about you three? I've got soft drinks, water, tea or hot chocolate. That's it."

"Coke?" Dean asked, pulling out a bar stool watching Harry.

"Yeah, ice?"

"Sure."

"I'll take the same." Sam echoed as he sat next to Dean.

"What about you, Castiel?" Harry asked as he popped the tops to the cans and slid the fizzing cups over to the waiting brothers.

"I am fine, thank you."

"Just let me know either way." Harry murmured topped off two mugs before begrudgingly going over to the cabinet and Dean sputtered at the amount of licorice Harry had stored next to blocks of chocolate.

"How many Twizzlers do you need, man?"

"A lot." Gabriel smirked as he moved to check out the stash. "Picked up a tasty habit I see."

Harry slammed the cabinet shut with a growl. "You might want to start explaining or I will make you leave."

"I've been all over, taking care of these three." Gabriel started. "But I suppose I should start at the beginning."

"That would be the best idea."

"I'm not a Trickster." Gabriel began and Harry snorted. "I'm an Archangel. I didn't like the way it was in Heaven. I didn't like the rules and regulations, so I left and made a new home for myself. Something not to unlike what you did for yourself here."

"What did you do?" Dean interrupted with a question aimed towards Harry.

"Not necessary for you to know right now." Harry waved Dean's question off and looked back at Gabriel. "So you're still supposed to be all powerful like you were when you called yourself a Trickster, correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so you just didn't tell me the whole truth. I can't really say anything because I did the same thing to you when we first met." Harry gave an amused grin as he shook his head. "Go on, how did you end up becoming like you are now?"

"I got wind that these three were in for a world of trouble, fighting off the apocalypse and everything. They weren't doing so well so I volunteered my services after I made their lives a living hell."

"You could say that again." Sam grunted out.

"Anyways, Lucifer decided that it would be a great time to use Sam as his vessel and brother Michael wanted to use Dean as his. That was a big no-no because if that happened, the world would have ended. So in order to keep the world as you know it safe, me and Cas here came up with one of the greatest plans in the universe to get rid of Lucifer and to take care of the apocalypse once and for all."

"Except it was great for everyone but Gabriel here," Dean pointed out.

"He has lost most, if not all of his grace." Castiel added into the conversation.

"What does that mean for you?"

"It's just really going to blow." Gabriel shrugged. "But it'll come back. Hopefully."

"So what can I do?"

Dean shared a quick look with Sam. "What is it between you two? One second I think you hate each other's guts and now you're willing to help Gabriel without knowing what it's going to take."

"It's complicated. And you're even lucky I know more than just the general healing spells I learned during the war." Harry set his mug down on the counter and moved towards Gabriel.

"I don't like that look in your eyes."

"You shouldn't." Harry rubbed his hands together. "I need to run a diagnostic to see what damage has been done to you and to see if I can do anything to actually help you."

"You can. That is why we came to you. Your abilities are the quickest route to recovery for Gabriel."

"I'm going to shove a wad of dirty socks in your mouth, Cas. Because what you just said, isn't helping my case any."

"Something really is wrong with you, because you're normally a lot more amusing than this." Harry mumbled as he pushed Gabriel over to the couch.

"I'm wounded."

"Sit." Harry placed a hand on top of Gabriel's head and let his fingers tangle into the loose strands of hair before he corrected the movement. "Focus on your Grace because I need to know what I'm looking for."

"Okay, I can do that."

"You better be able to. I may not be happy with you at the moment but I don't want you dead." Harry murmured. His words were warm on Gabriel's cheek.

Harry watched as Gabriel took a deep breath that surfaced through his chest and eased the tension out of his body before his eyes slipped shut. Harry cast a sideways glance and watched as everyone was raptly focused on them. Harry moistened his lips before closing his eyes and letting his magic reach deep within Gabriel.

Harry followed the faint blue white lights of Gabriel's Grace, noticing how it faded in and out. How it stopped completely when it reached Gabriel's heart, like it wasn't even a part of Gabriel's core any longer. A small miniscule thread was barely holding everything together, keeping his grace in his body. It was miraculous that Gabriel still managed to walk around.

Harry felt his hand slipping from Gabriel's hair to his cheek and the low vibration and soft surge of light emitted before Harry felt the raw emotion that Gabriel kept so tightly hidden beneath surface and it shocked him that most of the soft hues morphed and molded towards his magic. It reacted and moved with his touch.

Harry opened his eyes and met dark chocolate eyes before pulling his hand away from the warm skin. "You have no physical damage for me to heal, Gabe."

"We could have told you that." Dean smacked a hand on his thigh breaking the moment.

"But all I can offer to do for you at the moment is to try a few things out and to monitor what they do. Once I see an improvement I can go from there."

"How long will it take?" Castiel moved right to the hard questions.

"Honestly, I'm not sure but it's amazing that you're managing to walk around. I can do something that will ensure that you don't lose what you have until I figure out how to fix this for you."

"What does that consist of?" Sam asked. His curiosity already piqued.

"I can link my magic to Gabriel's core, which if I'm correct is what anchors your Grace to your vessel. That is what this body is right? Angels, demons and the like use vessels to walk to earth?"

"I created mine, but yes that's the general concept." Gabriel answered, half wondering what else Harry knew about the supernatural world besides what he knew of his magical world that he never bothered revealing.

"Okay then it'll be like an energy transfer. If Gabriel doesn't have enough to keep his Grace, my magic will react to make sure he keeps what he has until I find the right solution."

"If you can not find a solution quick enough there are other options that we can seek out. Options that will move far more quickly than you will."

"I can find a solution!" Harry snapped at Castiel. "It requires brewing potions, and spell weaving that can not be messed up or rushed. If the dosages are too weak I have to start over with the potions to make them stronger. It is a precise method that takes planning."

"This was a waste of a day." Dean rolled his eyes.

"He's the only one I trust not to try and kill me on sight for the things I've done." Gabriel sighed.

"I was half tempted to slice you open when I first saw you." Harry grinned. "But I wouldn't kill you. Now Dean, he's starting to get on my last nerve."

"Hey!"

"Are you going to stay in town or are you leaving?" Harry asked. "I won't link my magic to you if you're leaving before I try and do anything for you."

"We're staying." Gabriel made the decision before anyone else had the chance to say anything.

"Okay then," Dean grinned.

"Have you eaten anything?" Harry questioned as he headed back into the kitchen, setting pans on the stove.

"You plan on cooking for me?" Gabriel's eyes widened in mouth watering anticipation at seeing Harry the stove and the mention of food.

"All of you," Harry nodded as he pulled out chicken from the fridge and set about cooking it. "It would be rude to just cook for two."

"What are you making?" Gabriel situated himself at the bar and watched as Harry moved around the kitchen, setting pasta in boiling water and seasoning the chicken. "It already smells delicious."

"Chicken Alfredo," Harry moved to lean against the counter top and faced Gabriel with his arms across his chest.

"One of my favorites," Gabriel's lips quirked and Harry snorted. "I know, you were already planning on making it and eating leftovers throughout the week with how much chicken you had in the fridge, but too much of a coincidence."

"I never believed in coincidences, Gabe." Harry turned back to the stove top and stirred the sauce and checked the pasta. "How many people did you go to before me?"

Harry listened to the tap tap tap of Gabriel's fingers against the counter top and the soft murmurs of conversation in the living room for a few seconds before he turned around to meet embarrassed eyes. "I'm the first person you came to."

"You're the first person I thought when they asked who I thought would help. So we came here. Then when we got outside of town, I thought you would rather kick me out on my ass then help." Gabriel toyed with the edge of the down turned picture frame before he flipped it over and he replaced it on the wall from where Harry took it down. "Guess I was wrong."

"You've been known to be wrong about a lot of things."

"Figured you would have shacked up with some guy by now."

Harry turned away from Gabriel's heated eyes and drained the pasta before mixing the sauce and chicken in with it. "Never found anyone interesting enough, but enough about that. Dinner is ready and you need to eat and eat like a human. Especially after I link my magic to you, otherwise you can end up hurting me."

"What else do I need to do?" Gabriel asked his tone was serious and Harry could almost see the invisible notepad at his fingertips.

"Stick close with your protectors." Harry shrugged and grinned at the incredulous look Gabriel gave him. "That's the role they've taken with you and they'll keep you safe."

"Of course they will. After all the shit I've put up with for them? They better." Gabriel grabbed the dish from Harry's hands and set it on the bar.

"You should eat." Harry wiped his hands clean and opened a cabinet nodding towards the plates before he pulled a drawer open full of cutlery. "I need to make a phone call to one of the girls to see if they can open the shop for me in the morning."

Gabriel wrapped his fingers around Harry's wrist, "You don't have to rearrange your entire life for me. I can wait."

"No," Harry shook his head before he looked up to meet the curious gazes of the hunters and another angel and he finished speaking. "This really can't wait Gabe. We need to do this as soon as possible. Eat, I'll be right back."

Gabriel watched as Harry disappeared down the hallways, soft tones drifting up the hallway as he got everyone to start eating without protest. They were eating quietly when Sam picked up the picture and shook his head.

Dean broke the silence with a snort, "So where you always gay or was the whole womanizer thing a front?"

"Womanizer?" Harry asked with a raised brow as he slipped back into the room. "Do tell."

"If you value your manhood, you will keep your trap shut." Gabriel warned and Dean smirked at the archangel.

"He always had some fake bimbo on his arm, like he was something special." Dean kept talking and Harry rolled his eyes along side Sam.

"Oh like you have room to talk, Dean." Sam pointed with his fork. "You were just as bad and you still are. You can't go into a bar without picking up the trashiest girl you can find."

"Well, the thing is, I can't figure out is if it was all a front or if he was in to that sort of thing."

"I am here you know. In the flesh, just so you know." Gabriel flicked Dean in the forehead before going back to eating.

"Well I'm sure Harry would like to know if he's going to be linking his magic or whatever it is to your STD infested ass." Dean shrugged as he cleared his plate and leaned back on the stool with a satisfied sigh.

"Actually, I don't want to know." Harry grimaced. "It's not really any of my business what Gabriel did while he was off saving the world with you three. The dishwasher is empty, I need to make a few more calls to make sure the store runs smoothly while I'm not there tomorrow and then we can get started after I shower."

"Shower?" Sam asked.

"Unless you're going to volunteer to help me after I'm finished, I need to shower before I link my magic to Gabriel's core." Harry replied cheekily.

"He'll be exhausted, Sam." Castiel explained as Harry moved through the house again, leaving stunned faces in his wake. Gabriel tapped his fingers on the counter top and sighed.

"This is a bad idea." Gabriel whispered to Castiel as Sam and Dean headed towards the living room. Sam booting up his laptop searching for another hunt they could go on while Dean harped on about why they couldn't just take a break for once.

"It will help." Castiel said firmly. "He was the one who suggested it in the first place, not you and not anyone else. We will do this because it's your only option."

"If it hurts him," Gabriel swallowed down the guilt and fear before he met deep blue eyes, "You do whatever it takes."

"It won't hurt him, Gabriel." Castiel's lips quirked upwards momentarily. "There is something here. Don't you feel it?"

"I felt it the first time I saw him, Cas." Gabriel gave a sad grin. "And my world kept taking me away from him. Like it keeps doing."

"Maybe this time it's different." Castiel's eyes rolled towards where Harry was toweling his hair dry and a collective sigh went around the room when he entered the room.

"That sounded lovely. I'm not going to kill him, I promise." Harry grinned. He moved towards a bookcase and grabbed a slim wooden box and set it carefully onto the coffee table. He pulled the lid off and let his fingers trail over what lay inside momentarily. "Right, are you ready for this Gabe?"

"For the magic touch?" Gabriel gave the first real smile Harry had seen since he had waltzed right back in his life. "You bet."

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

Ch

**Past**

Harry was curled up on Gabriel's chest as they mindlessly watched Food Network. Gabriel pointing out things he wanted Harry to make or what they should try before he shifted and Harry gave a disgruntled huff and resettled himself on the couch.

"You going to ask what's on your mind wizard man or am I going to have to pluck it from your mind?"

Harry rolled his lips together before he flicked the television to mute and looked down at Gabriel, "It's just, you're a Trickster right?"

"Yes, and you're a wizard. We established this already. Why is this bothering you all of a sudden?"

"It's just it makes sense now," Harry grinned, "The sweet tooth, the playfulness, how only you find some of my craziness funny. I just don't understand how I didn't make the connection before now and why you would want to be with me."

Gabriel let his fingers trace along Harry's cheek before he ran it through the unruly hair with a small smile on his face. "How could I not want to be with you? You have a Trickster side to you also. I've seen it on more than one occasion. You get this gleam in your eye and I know I'm about to be in for it but I don't have a damn clue what you're up to."

"That could be a bad thing." Harry grinned.

"Nah," Gabriel smirked before his smirk faded and his eyes darted up towards the ceiling, "You love me. Sometimes I think you love me too much."

Harry closed his eyes and rested his ear over Gabriel's heart before he clicked the volume back up.

* * *

**Present**

"For the magic touch?" Gabriel gave the first real smile Harry had seen since he had waltzed right back in his life. "You bet."

Harry gestured for Gabriel to lie on the floor and he tossed down a pillow for the archangel to get comfortable before Harry moved to straddle his hips.

"Whoa," Dean looked up from where he and Sam were bickering. "I didn't know that we were going to get a show."

"It grounds my magic." Harry rolled his eyes before he plucked the wand that was resting in its case and looked into Gabriel's wide dark eyes. "I need you to concentrate on your Grace and ignore everything else going on in the room but what's happening between you and me."

Harry closed his eyes to focus and soon as Gabriel nodded in understanding. Soft words of Gaelic slipped passed Harry's lips as he searched out the threads of Gabriel's Grace once again. He found the blue white chords that were leading towards the archangel's heart barely pulsing until it reacted to Harry's touch.

The moment Harry slid his hand down Gabriel's forehead, the bridge of Gabriel's nose and brushed along the sly arch of his lips the blue white light pulsed with intensity, spiraling out towards Harry. Harry slipped closer and he felt the tug and pull of energy with every word that escaped his through his lips.

Harry sighed at the sight of the bright hues of colors twining together; the transfer of one life force into another. The way each strand of light fought a battle of dominance, the way they finally twined together in soft hue of violet. He guided his magic and the linked Grace down beneath a clothed chest, straight into Gabriel's core. Harry's hand tightened against the fabric of Gabriel's shirt bunching and wrinkling as he urged the bond stronger.

A hand pressed against his, breaking his concentration, "That's more than enough, Harry."

Harry blinked against the breath that was brushing against his cheek and he realized how far he slipped against Gabriel. He remembered how long it had been since it had been since he could be this close to him. Harry rolled his lips together and fell forward, almost like with every breath he took the energy seemed to pour out of him. His forehead rested in the crook of Gabriel's neck and he could feel the vibrations beneath the man's skin again. Not as prominent as they had once been but that zing of energy was back.

"You're better." Harry whispered against Gabriel's skin and Harry felt him shiver beneath his words.

"Yeah," Gabriel answered, his arms automatically going around Harry's waist. "Because of you, I will be soon."

"Missed you so much, you ass." Harry said with a yawn and he got a snort out of Gabriel.

"Forgot how honest and how much you talked when you got exhausted." Gabriel looked up at the Winchesters and Castiel, pleading for one of them to help Harry up off of him. "A little help here would be nice."

Sam rolled his eyes and plucked Harry up off of Gabriel like he was weightless. "Bedroom?"

"Down the hallway unless he changed everything up." Gabriel pointed and Sam gave a look asking for Gabriel to lead the way.

Dean coughed before he led Sam down the hallway "Let's explore, Sam. It can't be too difficult to find Harry's room."

Gabriel sat on the floor flexing his fingers and toes out. He looked over to Castiel and shook his head. "You knew he would do that, didn't you?"

"Do what?" Castiel cocked a brow.

"To and fix me first try by just linking us together. None of the stuff he was worrying about, none of the crazy spell work, potions or whatever he was going on about. He just linked us together and," Gabriel snapped his fingers, "I'm almost fixed."

"I told you it would be different here." Castiel raised a brow and shrugged.

"I'm older than you and I'm of higher status. How did you manage to get the all knowing genes of the family?"

"I wasn't posing as a Trickster." Castiel offered before he sat down on the couch watching Gabriel flex out his legs and arms. "You aren't going to move any differently than before."

"I feel better." Gabriel pointed out as he rolled his shoulders. "Like I could go out and do some serious pranking."

"It's his magic."

"How long do you think we're going to be here?" Gabriel asked.

"How long do you want to be here?" Castiel echoed.

* * *

Harry shuffled into the kitchen with a wide yawn and scratching his stomach. "Food would be awesome right about now."

"You feeling okay?"

Harry spun around and sighed when he saw Sam sitting at the bar eating a jelly biscuit. "I'm fine although I feel like I could eat a cow."

Sam quirked a brow before he pushed a plate of leftover biscuits across the counter towards Harry, "Have at it."

"Where is everyone? I figured my house would be crawling with you guys when I woke up."

"Gabriel said we should give you your space. Let you do your thing."

Harry dropped the spoon he pulled out the drawer to spread jelly on his biscuit, "What?"

"Don't ask me, I figured he'd want to be here but he dragged Dean and Cas out this morning to do something."

"And they didn't leave a note or tell you where they were going?" Harry picked up the spoon and fixed his biscuit before moving around the bar to sit next to Sam.

"Gabriel woke me up to say that they would be back sometime this afternoon and to make sure you ate but that's it."

"He wanted you to make sure I ate?" Harry snorted, "Right because that sounds exactly like something Gabriel would say."

"Well," Sam grinned, "He didn't say that per se."

"Oh Merlin, he's gotten his mojo back hasn't he?" Harry rolled his eyes with a huff. He couldn't help but try and hide the mile wide smile behind the jellied biscuit as Sam laughed at him.

"That's definitely one way of putting it."

Harry snorted, "You didn't live with him as long as I did Sam, you probably only got a taste of some of the trouble he could get into. Although, I guess you did get to see a side of him I have never seen."

"Yeah? And what side is that?" Sam asked genuinely curious in how Harry was talking about the archangel who saved his and Dean's asses more times than he cared to count.

"You got to see the archangel side of him. I only got to see the Trickster side of Gabriel," Harry broke off a piece of biscuit and let the crumbs fall to the counter top, "Don't get me wrong, I love that side of him but I feel like I never got the whole Gabriel. I only got to see the fun part of him not the whole picture. I just wonder how much of him has changed or how much of him I missed out on you know."

"You really care about him, huh?"

"He grows on you." Harry shrugged and let his eyes drift towards the window over the sink.

"I guess in that fungus kind of way." Sam leaned back in his chair letting the sounds of the house keep them company.

"I missed him," Harry tapped his fingers on the table top as he let out a jaw popping yawn. "Every time he left it I wondered if it was going to be the last time I was going to see him again. And I didn't really get explanations, just little notes left on the table saying he was sorry he left and he didn't know when he'd be back."

Harry's eyes widened and he downed a cup of orange juice before he ran a shaky hand through his sleepy trodden hair. "I thought I was over all this. I thought that I could handle it but now? I just see what could have been not what was."

"You want to talk about it?" Sam asked as he patiently waited for Harry to decide whether or not he wanted to keep speaking or not.

"It's best not to dwell on these things Sam." Harry cleaned up his mess and headed for the living room, "I'm thinking a movie and some more rest would be good right about now."

* * *

"Honey, we're home!" Gabriel called out as soon as waltzed through the door. He frowned a bit when he saw Harry curled up on the couch napping and Sam sitting in the recliner zoned out as he clicked and clacked away at his laptop.

Gabriel snapped his fingers in front of Sam's face to get the hunter's attention, "How long has he been like this?"

Sam looked over at Harry then back over at the crowd that was behind the couch, "He ate breakfast then he watched some movie, had lunch and then he conked out. I figured he was going to be out soon by the way he was dozing through the movie."

"So he ate," Gabriel rolled his lips together before looking up at Castiel. "Do you think it's just because he's still recuperating?"

"Did you eat?" Castiel asked and Gabriel nodded. "Did you eat anything besides candy?"

Gabriel sighed before he sat down on the floor. He leaned against the couch and rested his head along Harry's back, "Guess that might be why Harry is passed out like a zombie."

"Then we should get some of that grub out of the car," Dean rocked back and forth on his heels. "Because I think Harry here might pitch a fit if he finds out about this."

"I'm not a heavy sleeper," Harry croaked as he rolled over and blinked the sleep from his eyes, "And while it would be nice if Gabriel ate something so I wasn't metaphorically feeding him, I think I'm just tired at the moment."

"Right," Gabriel nodded, "So last night before dinner you said I needed to eat like a human would but really I need to eat better don't I?"

"Just eat more than candy," Harry huffed out as he stood up to head for his bedroom, "Don't start anything stupid and end up getting yourself hurt because you'll end up hurting more than just yourself."

At the clueless looks he was getting from everyone around the room Harry wanted to kick something. He did go over this with Gabriel last night before they agreed to this. Harry shook his head and his fist clenched in an unconscious show of frustration, "You will hurt me, Gabe. You have to be careful now. You don't get to go traipsing off like the Trickster you once said you were. Now you actually have to think of someone other than yourself."

"Hey," Dean stepped forward and held a hand out to cut Harry off, "What's your deal?"

"Just leave it, Dean." Sam stood up and tugged his brother away from the wizard who was growing more than furious with his brother's interference. "Harry's just tired and you three tromped through his house like little kids. You didn't stop to think. None of you."

Dean's mouth dropped at Sam's stern words and his gaze flickered back and forth between Sam and Harry trying to figure out what had been going on while they were gone.

Harry shook his head and looked down the hallway to avoid everyone's face as he spoke, "I don't mind that you're here. I'm glad that Gabriel has people he cares about and who obviously care about him but I'm used to it being me and only me. I'm used to it being quiet. I need today to rest. It's not going to be easier for me or Gabriel right now. It's a lot to get used to."

"Sounds like you're making a big deal out of nothing," Dean muttered under his breath and Harry shot a fueled look towards the hunter before calming the burst of anger that seemed to flare to life around the man.

Harry rubbed a hand over his face before he let out a wide yawn and choosing to ignore what Dean had said, "Feel free to whatever you find in the cabinets or fridge."

Dean waited until Harry disappeared into his room and Gabriel muttered something about a shower before he rounded on Sam, "What the hell, Sam?"

"No Dean, you don't get to 'what the hell, Sam' me." Sam shook his head as he stalked into the kitchen already preparing to shove food down Gabriel's throat if need be. "I don't know what's going on with you right now, Dean but this has got to stop. You didn't talk to Harry earlier. You went to the store with Gabe and Cas earlier so you don't know what's going on. You don't have a clue."

Sam gave a said laugh before he shook his head, "You don't know how much it's probably hurting Harry to see and to do this for Gabriel. So would you just back off of him for a little while?"

"What do you mean?" Dean headed over towards the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water to sip on. "How much it's hurting him? Did he say something?"

"It was what he didn't say, Dean." Sam ran a hand through his hair. "It's how Harry acts every time you touch Gabriel, every time you jump to his defense. Harry doesn't say anything but it's plain as day when you look at him."

"When you look at who?" Gabriel asked as he sat at the bar and frowned when Sam slid over a plate with leftover Chicken Alfredo on it.

"It's nothing," Dean gritted his teeth before sliding past Sam. "I'm going go grab that shit out the Impala before it goes bad."

"That might be a good idea." Gabriel nodded, "I'll help."

"No," Dean held up a hand, "I've got it."

"Okay," Gabriel cocked a brow before settling back down and digging back into his food. "So where'd feather butt go?"

"He never came in," Sam shrugged before he rolled his lips together trying to figure out how to pose his question to Gabriel.

His problem was solved with the archangel in question rolled his fork in the air and sighed, "Out with it, Winchester. What do you want to know?"

"Uh," Sam scratched at the back of his neck before he leaned across the counter and focused on his hands, "Why does this feel like what Harry did for you was more than just providing a lifeline? Like he did something more?"

Gabriel took a few bites of his food and washed it down with a few sips of water, "Because Sam, what Harry did was more."

"Can you tell me?"

"I can feel him," Gabriel whispered as he pushed his plate away. He set a closed fist right at his heart. "It's like this ache right in my chest and he's right there. I knew when he was upset earlier and I knew when he was exhausted just like I know he was ready to snap Dean's neck a few minutes ago."

"Oh," Sam whispered and he looked up when Dean dropped plastic bags to the floor.

"Yeah, oh." Gabriel frowned before he stood up and set his plate in the sink.

"Did he know?" Dean asked as he picked up the bags and they each started putting the items away the best they could. "What that would do?"

"Of course he knew," Gabriel snorted, "It takes a pretty special person to do that. To link himself so tightly to someone who kept hurting them over and over in the past."

* * *

Harry was a bit confused when he woke up. It was dark and his phone said it was only one twenty seven. In the morning. Harry muffled a groan before he sat up and looked around his room trying to figure out what woke him up when he spotted the curled up figure at his desk.

Taking a deep breath Harry shuffled from his bed and across the few feet that separated his bed and the mess Gabriel was currently using as a bed. Harry closed his eyes as the need to run his fingers along the curve of the man's spine, to let his lips taste the pale skin at the nape of his neck. Instead he let his hand rest on Gabriel's shoulder and he rubbed a soothing circle until he saw the soft flutter of eye lashes.

"Hey," Harry whispered, "You okay?"

Gabriel pushed back into Harry's hand and he nodded while he answered, "Yeah I'm fine. I was just making sure you were okay."

Harry raised a brow and looked towards his bed, "I was sleeping, how could I not be fine?"

"Fine you caught me," Gabriel gave a shy smile.

"There is another bed, unless someone stole it and in that case there is a couch you could take."

Gabriel swallowed before he nodded, "There is a couch with my name on it but it's the couch and this is your place."

"Yeah," Harry gave a jerky nod, "It sucks but if you're just going to leave I can't go through this again even with everything I've already done for you."

"I don't want to leave." Gabriel bit into his lip. "I don't have anything that's going to take me away this time. Dad doesn't want me home, Apocalypse averted and you know who I really am. I just don't want to lose the last good thing I've got going for me."

Harry really wanted to step away from Gabriel when he stood up but he couldn't find it in him to move. He melted when Gabriel's hand grasped the side of his neck and he felt his arms moving on their own accord to wrap around Gabriel.

Harry could feel the intense burst of energy under his fingers everywhere he touched Gabriel's skin and he wanted to feel more as his fingers brushed up the sides of Gabriel's neck.

"I missed you so much," Gabriel whispered as he rested his forehead against Harry's. "Your eyes, your voice, everything."

Harry nodded and tucked his face in the crook of Gabriel's neck inhaling that sweet scent that was so uniquely Gabriel no combination of chocolates or fruits could mimic.

He brushed his nose along the side of Gabriel's neck before he rubbed his cheek against Gabe's and he held him there. The corner of his lips pressed against the corner of Gabriel's as he spoke, "I missed you too."

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

 

**Past**

Harry woke up with sheets tangled around his legs and his house entirely too quiet to handle. The silence became something he had come to not trust. When it got this quiet across every room it made it feel like it was starting all over again. His heart was crumbling in his chest. Rubbing a hand across the steady ache of his heart, Harry let out a strangled sigh. There wasn't a point in wallowing. Not when he knew what he should expect. It was best to get it over with. Read the note that held empty promises of Gabriel's return and maybe this time he could move on. It's all he could do.

Stepping into the kitchen Harry closed his eyes tightly. His fingertips curled tightly into his palms. There it was in black and white propped against a tepid mug of hot chocolate. It was just more words that meant nothing to Gabriel as he strung them along on loose leaf paper and disappeared without a word. Harry picked up the paper, his eyes watering and his fist crushing the paper as he read the note. He knew it was coming, so why did it hurt so much?

Letting out a harsh yell, Harry grabbed the mug and hurled it at the wall. The murky liquid dribbling down the wall as Harry went after everything else he could get his hands on. Plates that were left over from dinner last night, wine glasses that cost a small fortune. He destroyed everything he could get his hands on. Nothing he did made the hurt go away. It just made it worse with every shard that joined the rest on the floor.

Harry fell heavy against the fridge and the floor staring at the mess he made. He leaned his head back on the fridge and focused on the picture of him and Gabe, smiles and laughter in their eyes. It was a reminder of what he'd probably never have again. Grabbing half of a coffee cup, Harry chucked it at the picture knocking it off the wall, giving up on the one person who ever made him feel whole.

* * *

**Present**

It was quiet. It was the kind of quiet that Harry had come to expect with Gabriel. Something good would finally happen and then the angel would disappear. He was almost afraid to get out of bed and to walk to few steps it would take to make it into the kitchen. Harry curled his fingers into the comforter and pulled it over his head, trying to hide from the day just a little bit longer. It didn't matter anymore. He'd figure out how to fix the archangel and get Gabriel and his merry band of hunters out of his hair. He'd be able to go back to some semblance of a normal life.

The sound of whistling broke through his thoughts. It was soft enough to sound like it was coming from the kitchen right before something clattered to the floor followed by loud cursing. Harry threw the covers back and slipped down the hallway to see what was actually happening in his kitchen. He stopped just around the corner listening to Gabriel grumbling, "Don't know how he always did this. If I could just snap these into existence I'd be down but no, can't do that. I've burnt myself how many times trying to make a bread substance for breakfast? I'm an archangel, I can do this."

Harry snorted at the pep talk that was happening in his kitchen over pancakes. Wiping a hand over his face Harry slid of from his hiding place and padded around the corner and into the kitchen. He grinned at the sight Gabriel presented. He had flour on his cheek along with every surface he could manage to get it on in the kitchen. He was staring at Harry's recipe looking so lost Harry had to interrupt before he gave in and actually snapped the pancakes into existence.

"You want some help?"

"No," Gabriel growled out. "I'm determined to make these. One way or another they will be made."

"If you let me help they'll be made a lot faster and then you can get to the sugary goodness known as syrup quicker." Harry offered. Gabriel's eyes lit up and then narrowed as if he knew Harry was bribing him.

"Fine, you can help but I have to learn how to do this stuff somehow." Gabriel pointed out as Harry stepped around the counter grinning at the flour that dotted the floor. "I mean, I gotta take care of us both."

Harry looked down at his hands before he looked over at Gabriel grinning, "Yeah, you kind of do until I figure out how to fix you, you defect archangel."

"Hey!" Gabriel poked Harry in the shoulder, "Alright, now teach me oh wise one."

"It's really easy," Harry magicked the mess Gabriel made off the floor and counters before starting over. He grinned when he noticed the flour still dotting the archangel's face. "You're just making it more difficult than it really needs to be."

"I've heard the best things in life are the most difficult to get back but they're worth it," Gabriel bit into his lip before focusing on what Harry was showing him. He did an internal fist pump at the wave of happiness that felt distinctly of Harry.

Harry and Gabriel sat next to each other munching on their pancakes quietly before Harry broke the silence, "Where are Sam and Dean at today?"

"Went out for the day. They had some errands to run, items to restock on while they're taking a vacation." Gabriel air quoted the word vacation as he answered Harry swirling a slice of pancake in the pond of syrup on his plate, "I figured it would be better for them to be out of your place for now. You were giving so serious jealousy vibes every time Dean got near me."

Harry choked and reached for his glass of juice to clear his throat refusing to meet Gabriel's eyes. "I did not."

"You did too," Gabriel grinned. "Every time Dean touched me after you linked us up you'd go all Hulk Smash. I can't say I'd blame you, I am pretty irresistible."

"Uh huh, whatever you say." Harry shoved at Gabriel's shoulder.

"Uh," Gabriel rubbed at his arm, "So why was that?"

Harry looked everywhere but at Gabriel before he sent the archangel a small smile, "I'm going to go grab some books from my workroom so I can get started on figuring out how to get you all healed up."

Gabriel watched as Harry disappeared from the kitchen and he looked at the dishes that were left on the counter just waiting for someone to wash them. He frowned at them before standing up, "I guess I'll just clean up while you save my life. Sounds like an awesome trade off. Right."

Gabriel turned the tap on and hummed to himself as he began to clean the dishes. There wasn't much he could do to entertain himself without his powers. Lately the little things started to call to him and soap suds caught his attention. He let his fingers dip into them before flicking some up in the air. He snorted in amusement when the bubbles stopped in midair and began to dance. He looked over his shoulder to see Harry with books tucked under his arm and amusement dancing in his eyes.

"You miss it," Harry asked as he let the bubbles fall onto Gabriel's face, "Being able to do small things like that."

"I lived most of my life down on earth as a Trickster and then with you," Gabriel shrugged turning back towards the dirty dished. "Of course I miss it."

Harry set his books down on the counter and I didn't realize it was that bad. "I mean I guess I did realize it. I saw it, when I linked us together but you're so bored here. Not being able to do the things you were able to."

"It's not so bad," Gabriel shrugged, "I'm here."

Harry sat down where they had just eaten and started setting up his work space. He had his notebooks, pens and other books to search through. He was flipping through the index of an older tomb when he spoke to Gabriel's back. "He's been protecting you this whole time, hasn't he?"

"Who?" Gabriel turned around confused.

"Dean. Well all of them but Dean's been the most protective of you, more so than Sam or even Castiel. This happened because you were trying to protect him from something."

"You knew that already."

"No," Harry shook his head. "What I meant was you were protecting him specifically and now he's doing everything he can to do the same for you. That's why he's they way he is."

Gabriel shrugged not really understanding what Harry was trying to say or ask. Instead of messing up again he just changed the subject hoping it was be relatively safer to tread there, "So what's in these books that seem to hold all the answers to fixing me?"

"I'm hoping to that find out," Harry gave Gabriel a hopeful smile. He already had a few ideas but the thought of going through each of them to come up with empty results wasn't something he was entirely read for.

There was the distinct possibility that he wouldn't actually find anything to help Gabriel. After all the research, spell work and potions it was be for nothing. They Harry had forever linked himself to an archangel leaving himself to depend on Gabriel at every turn to remember that he was still human and would need the simplest of things to survive.

"Well I'll just leave you to it," Gabriel stood up and ran his fingers along Harry's shoulders as he started to move towards the living room. Harry grabbed his wrist and pushed a book towards him. "If you don't have anything important to do you can help me with this. If you want to but you don't have to."

Gabriel took the offering for what it is. A way to get closer to Harry. He settled back down across the counter from Harry and opened the book thumbing through the pages. "Where should I start?"

"Depleted cores," Harry flipped to the back of the book. "There's got to be a correlation between the ways your core reacted to mine. So that's where I'm starting. There are a couple of places that topic can be in the book you have. If you read something that isn't under healing in that book, it's going to be defense spells. It may not look useful but read over it anyways. It could potentially point us in the right direction. If you're not sure just make a note of it and I'll look over it later."

Gabriel nodded before tearing a piece of paper from Harry's notebook and one of Harry's pens. He studied the script in front of him. His fingers trailed beneath the words as he read. Healing a drained magical core was extensive. It took Healers weeks to accomplish it. Timed spell work that was specialized to every patient. Potions were added to aide and speed up the process. There were written in side notations stating that Healers usually worked in teams of two or more in case they started to exhaust themselves in the process of healing the patient.

Gabriel swallowed down the enormity of what Harry was doing for him and reality finally sunk in. He glanced across the counter and looked at the wizard intently taking notes and flipping through the books next to him. He rubbed at his eyes and found himself staring at the wall holding the picture of Harry and himself. Why he deserved another chance or Harry's forgiveness didn't make sense. This time he wasn't going to waste the time he had with the wizard.

* * *

**Author's notes:** So there were a few purposes for this mini-chapter. It was a bit of a filler _but_ there is some information that you get to learn about. It also served as that bridge for the happier chapters in the future. Any who, hopefully it was up to par.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

* * *

**Past**

Gabriel sat quietly at the kitchen counter. His head propped up on a closed fist as he watched Harry work. The past few days had been like this. Harry was here, but it like he wasn't there at the same time. He was so focused on what he was working on he had forgotten about Gabriel. He had even stopped taking care of himself the way he should have. It was like the world had melted away save for his task at hand.

"Have you eaten?" Gabriel's voice was soft so not to frighten Harry.

"Not hungry," Harry mumbled out an answer. His stomach growled in protest though. Gabriel stood up to move around the counter. He grasped Harry's arms and pulled him back away from the counter. "What are you doing Gabe? This isn't something I can just let sit and come back to. If I don't finish this now it'll ruin."

"You can't not feed yourself either!" Gabriel shot back his face turning red with anger. "You are swaying on your feet, you look like you are about to fall out and you are still doing whatever the hell you're doing. Enough is enough, Harry. You need to take a break. You need to get some rest and take care of yourself."

Harry rubbed at his eyes, "I'm almost finished."

"You're not," Gabriel rolled his eyes. "We both know it."

"Then why are you bothering me?" Harry growled out as Gabriel led him towards the bathroom.

"If you aren't going to take care of yourself that means that I have to. You are going to take a hot shower and I am going to have dinner ready and waiting for you – even if it is a PB and J. You are going to eat something before you go back to working on whatever it is you're doing."

Harry licked his lips before his shoulders slumped and he let out a jaw popping yawn. With a sheepish look he wrapped his arms around Gabriel. His entire body melted into the hold. "Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I'd be lost too."

**Present**

Harry wasn't around all that often, even if he was at home. If he wasn't at work he was hidden in his work room trying to find out a way he could help Gabriel so they weren't so dependent on each other.

Gabriel didn't have to do much other than think about Harry and to know if he hadn't fed him self or he was pushing him self too hard. That was how he found Harry tonight. He was bent over his desk with his notes scattered across his desk and a few pages tucked into books marking his place.

"You know," Gabriel set a plate down in front of Harry hoping to entice the wizard to eat the food he prepared. It was only spaghetti but it took both Sam and Dean instructing him on how to make it to get it to the plate. "It is okay for you to take a moment to breathe once in a while. I've been doing better with the whole being human thing you know."

Harry looked up chewing on his pen cap, "I'm so close. I can feel it."

Gabriel closed the book that Harry had been staring so intently at, "What you are feeling is starvation. It makes you do funny things."

Harry pinned the archangel with a look, "If I were hungry or if I felt like I was being run down I would stop. I know my limits."

Gabriel put his hands up in surrender and headed towards the door speaking soft enough that it was hard for Harry to hear his words, "I know that it might be hard for you to believe but I'm worried about you. You are a hell of a lot paler than I have ever seen you. You have dark bags around your eyes. I don't think you realize what your limits are this time."

Harry flinched as the door slammed. He stared down at the still warm plate of spaghetti but he didn't feel the slightest rumble of hunger in his belly. He didn't want to eat the food. Pushing the food to the corner of the table Harry opened his book back up. The words were blurring together but he was so close to making the connection from depleted cores to fixing Gabriel's grace he could taste it.

* * *

"This was a terrible idea," Gabriel swiped over his mouth and looked to Castiel. "He doesn't even realize what he is doing to himself."

"Maybe he does," Castiel responded vaguely, "Maybe he knows exactly what he is doing and you just need to let him alone."

"I can feel how tired he is. I know how much he hurts but nothing I do is good enough for him Cas. All he can think about is getting rid of me," Gabriel's voice broke on the last words. He turned away from his brother and stared at the picture of he and Harry that was hanging over the bar. He wanted that happiness, he wanted the laughter and soft touches that they had before. He knew it wasn't going to be something that he could get back no matter how much he tried. As soon as everything was fixed Harry would be just another blip on his timeline of life.

"He is one of the most capable wizards on the planet," Castiel stated, "He willingly bonded his soul to yours. He will find what he needs to find."

"Way to encourage me bro," Gabriel rolled his eyes and mocked Castiel, "He will find what he needs to find? What kind of pep talk is that?"

Harry stared up at the ceiling fan. He watched the blades slowly spin around in lazy circles, his mind whirling with the amount of information he had been taking in the past few weeks. As much as he learned it never seemed like it was enough. Maybe what he had done was a mistake. Every thing pointed to the bond never breaking. They were going to be like this for the rest of Harry's life. Licking his lips, Harry burrowed deeper into the sheets on his bed. He wasn't too sure what he really felt about that either. Having Gabriel around again made everything so complicated but at the same time it made everything feel right. It felt like it was supposed to feel.

"You know," Gabriel's voice broke through Harry's thoughts and scarred him. Harry jolted up in bed and stared across the room to see Gabriel casually leaning against the doorframe. Gabriel sent Harry a soft smile and raised his hands up in apology, "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Just wasn't expecting anyone to come talk to me," Harry shrugged as he scooted back to lean against the headboard. "What were you going to say?"

"Just, you need to start taking care of your self. You," Gabriel scrunched his shoulders into him self. "You're worrying me. That's all."

Harry ran his fingers through his hair and patted the bed inviting Gabriel to join him. He remained quiet until Gabriel sat next to him. They stayed a hands width away from each other. "I just want to figure this out. You know how I get."

"Yeah, you need a babysitter when you get like this. I remember." Gabriel chuckled as he shook his head. "I just, this time I can feel it. I know how focused you are and I know that you're ignoring everything else but finding answers."

"I'm doing it for you," Harry toyed with his fingernails to avoid Gabriel's gaze. "At least I'm trying to do this for you."

"Do you want to get rid of me so badly that you'd hurt your self just to get rid of me?"

Harry looked over at the angel in shock, "I don't want to get rid of you Gabe. I just, you're stuck here with me until I figure things out."

"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe I don't mind all that much to be stuck here with you?" Gabriel reached across the space separating them and tangled his fingers together with Harry's. "Maybe I like being stuck here with you even if you aren't paying me a bit of attention."

Harry couldn't help but smile at Gabriel, "You like being stuck with me?"

Gabriel scooted closer so that their legs were pressed against each other and their shoulders brushing together, "I've always like being stuck with you Harry. You were the one person I couldn't ever stop thinking about when Dad would call me away. This was the place I couldn't wait to come back to."

Harry didn't say anything after that. He pulled Gabriel down so they were lying across the bed snuggled together holding each other tight. Just as Harry was dozing off he heard Gabriel's sleepy whisper, "Don't ever want to leave you again."

* * *

Things changed around the Potter house. Harry took the time to sit with Gabriel, whether it was to eat or just laugh, research didn't matter as much as it had. He would find a solution when he found one. Until then he had other things to take up his time.

"How come you never took the time to do this with me before?" Gabriel ask as he stirred the batter.

Harry narrowed his eyes as he added a bit of vanilla to the mix, "Because you didn't eat. You still wouldn't eat anything but candy if it weren't for this."

"Candy is good," Gabriel poked at Harry's chest, "And you can't deny it! You make a living off of candies."

Laughter tumbled over Harry's lips, "You just don't know the wonders of cake and other foods."

"Well I'm learning!" Gabriel grinned, "All that sugary goodness, it's going to be all mine!"

Harry shook his head and nudged the angel to pour the batter into two separate pans and burst out laughing at Gabriel's reaction, "Ooh! Two pans, someone is getting fancy."

"Yeah, yeah," Harry rolled his eyes, "Gotta pull out the best to impress."

The soft upward tilt of Gabriel's lips said everything he wasn't. Harry's words had warmed him from chest to toes.

"You and what's-his-face seem to be getting along with each other better," Dean commented absently before he groaned at the taste of the cake Gabriel and Harry had made together.

"Yeah," Gabriel nodded and rolled his eyes to see Sam trying to entice Castiel into eating a piece but having no luck. "Things aren't as awkward anymore."

"Does that mean you've gotten laid?" Dean grinned and choked on the cake he was chewing on when Gabriel smacked him on the back. "Dude! I could have wasted perfectly good cake just then."

"Then don't ask questions like that," Gabriel shrugged and eyed his trench coat clad brother as he swept over towards them. "What's up Cas?"

"I see Harry isn't working him self too hard lately."

"Well," Gabriel set his fork on the side of his plate, "We had a little bit of a talk about that and it seems like if he finds something he finds something. Until then he isn't going to lock him self in his work room and work with out taking care of himself."

"And you didn't have to do anything to persuade him of this?" Sam commented as he settled across the bar from them.

"Just a mushy tell all about my feelings, but I figure it's worth it." Gabriel resisted the urge to smack Dean when the hunter snorted and rolled his eyes. "You should try it sometime, it might keep you out of the doghouse from time to time."

"He's got a point there," Sam grinned, "You might even get some because you shared your feelings."

"No way man," Dean shook his head. "Not happening."

"What's not happening?" Harry asked as he swept into the kitchen still dressed in his chef's jacket. His pockets still pack the brim with tools.

"I'm not sharing my feelings just to get laid," Dean mumbled over a mouthful of cake.

Harry looked over a Gabriel, his cheeks flushing a bright red as he looked over towards Dean, "I don't know. It can be very beneficial."

Dean groaned, "I thought you said you didn't get laid! I don't need to hear about this."

"I never said it hadn't gotten me laid before," Gabriel grinned as he set a slice of cake on a plate for Harry and handed over the fork he used. Harry didn't have an qualms about sharing the utensil. "Sometimes it makes for the most _intense_ experience."

"Eh, gross!" Dean tossed his fork down, "Seriously dude? I don't want details. Please, just no details."

"But Dean," Gabriel chased after the hunter taunting him, "Sometimes it is even better than make-up sex."

Harry rolled his eyes and looked up towards Castiel, "So what's with the impromptu visit? Just missing him?"

Sam coughed uncomfortably into his fist, "Uh no. We're leaving."

"All of you?" Harry asked. It didn't take a genius to figure out who he was actually asking about."

"Gabriel will be remaining here. If that doesn't trouble you any Harry," Castiel answered, "He doesn't seem to want to leave."

Harry smiled a little to himself before he shrugged, "It's not a bother. Plus it'll let me check track of him better."

Sam shared a look with the angel, "Sure."

"Have you found anything new in your research?" Castiel asked. The question took all three of them off guard.

Harry scratched at his forehead and frowned a little, "Last night I think I might have come across something. Gabriel had just come down to let me know dinner was ready so I just stopped for the night."

Castiel tilted his head, "Maybe you should look again. You might find the answers to what you were looking for."

Harry looked towards Sam hoping for some kind of explanation for the angel's behavior but found the same confusion painted across Sam's face that he felt.

"Time to head out!" Dean yelled from the living room, "Places to go, bones to burn. Daylight's a wasting."

* * *

Harry couldn't get the angel's words out of his mind. His mind wouldn't stop swirling with the thought of what he could have missed out on even after he curled up in bed around Gabriel. He waited just long enough for the archangel to fall asleep before he crept from bed and into his work room.

He flipped through the books to his place the night before and tried to see what Castiel was speaking out. He had read several pages before he had come across it.

_Bonding souls will only work in the case of two souls entwined around each other. If there is no love, joy, or laughter between the two, the bond will fail. The only way to dissolve the bond is if one of the two bonded pass. It is a marriage of sorts and not to be taken lightly for the consequences are dire._

Harry pressed his lips together and read over the words once again. He should be angry with himself for doing something so rash. But he wasn't. Making his way back up to the room he and Gabriel had been sharing, Harry couldn't find anything wrong with what he had done. Everything felt warm and light. Like this was right where he should have ended up.

He slipped between the sheets and clenched his eyes shut as Gabriel shifted and wrapped himself around Harry, "Where'd you go?"

"To the work room," Harry whispered, his hands resting above Gabriel's and over his belly. He closed his eyes asking the question he had always been afraid of asking, "Are you going to be here when I wake up?"

There wasn't any hesitation from Gabriel as he answered, "Yes. I will be here every time you wake up as long as you want me to be here."

Harry let out a deep breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He turned in Gabriel's arms and pressed a soft kiss to the archangel's lips. "Good. I don't think I ever want to let you go."

"Doubly good," Gabriel yawned before tucking his head beneath Harry's chin. "Don't ever want to leave you again."


End file.
